Page:Selections from Muhammadan Traditions - tr. William Goldsack (1923).djvu/302

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any more? ' until the Lord of Glory puts His foot in it. Then some parts of it will contract into others; and it will say, ' Enough! enough! by Thy honour and Thy glory! ' And abundance of room will continue in paradise, until God creates a creation for it and causes them to inhabit the superfluous parts of paradise." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.

CONCERNING THE BEGINNING OF CREATION AND MENTION OF THE PROPHETS

It is related from 'Omar that he said, * The Apostle of God stood up in our midst and related to us the beginning of creation until the people destined for paradise entered their abodes, and the people destined for the fire entered theirs, He who remembered it, remembered it; and he who forgot it, forgot it.' Al Bukhdri.

It is related from Abu Hurairah that, * The Apostle of God said, " Abraham did not lie except on three occasions: two of them for the sake of God, when he said, * I am sick,' and when he said, 'Rather, the largest one of them did it.' And (the Prophet) said, "On a certain day when Abraham and Sarah came to a great tyrant, it was remarked to the latter, ' Verily there is a man here, accompanied by a most beautiful woman.' Then he sent to Abraham and asked him concerning her (saying) ' Who is this woman? ' He replied, ' She is my sister.' Then he came to Sarah and said to her, 'Verily if this tyrant knows that thou art my wife, he will overcome me in order to possess thee. Therefore if he ask thee, tell him that thou art my sister in Islam, for there is not on the face of the earth a single believer except thou and I.' Then the tyrant sent to her, and she was brought. And Abraham stood up to pray. And when she entered in where the tyrant was, he went to put forth his hand to take her, but he was withheld. And it is recorded that he was made to snort (in distress), until his feet began to strike on the ground. Then he said, ' Call on God for me, and I will do thee no harm.' Then she called on God, and he was released. Afterwards he attempted to take her a second time, but was withheld as at the first, or more severely. Then he said, ' Call on God for me, and I will do thee no harm.' So she called on God, and he was released. Then he called one